A Day Off
by Scribe-of-Arda
Summary: A nice cheerful oneshot- Aragorn has been working hard for too long. Some elves decide to take matters into their own hands when a snowfall arrives and the world turns white outside Gondor. Just how soaked can our favourite characters get?


A Day Off

_A/N: I'm not sure where this one came from; as it is May right now, not the middle of winter. Besides, I live in England so we never get any snow anyway. But I was feeling a bit stressed out and irritated over something, and so decided to write a fanfic that is more cheerful._

_Disclaimer: Could I say the snow belongs to me? Probably not. *sigh* It all belongs to the wonderful Tolkien._

The curtains were flung back with an almighty swoosh and Aragorn rolled over, blinking in the white light now streaming through the window. A slim figure was silhouetted in the light. Aragorn groaned.

"What are you doing Legolas?" he muttered. "It is early. It is cold. Shut the curtains and let me sleep."

"Not a chance" said Legolas, grinning broadly. "Come on, get up and get dressed."

Aragorn groaned even louder. "Wait until I tell Arwen about this." Because Arwen was now heavily pregnant and prone to getting up in the middle of the night to get snacks, Aragorn was now sleeping in their antechamber.

Legolas chuckled. "Oh, I was hoping you would say that. Arwen has actually given me permission to drag your lazy self out of bed this morning!"

Aragorn groaned again. "She is pregnant, she is not in her right mind…"

"I am perfectly sane, thank you very much!" came a muffled voice from the bedroom. Legolas grinned again.

"Would you like to argue against your wife?" he asked. Aragorn sighed and Legolas' grin widened. "I thought not."

He had moved over to the dresser and was pulling clothes out of it when the door swung open. Aragorn rolled his eyes as the two beings stepped in. "I should have known."

Elladan grinned. "Known what, brother dear?"

"That you were in on this." Legolas threw a tunic and leggings at Aragorn and he reluctantly began to pull them on. "What do you want to do now?"

Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas exchanged glances. "It's a surprise" said Elrohir quickly.

"Brilliant" muttered Aragorn.

"Aragorn?" asked Legolas. Aragorn looked up. The elf was standing in the middle of the room, a boot dangling in his hand. "Where is your other boot?"

"I don't know, do I?" cried Aragorn. "Probably in that pile over there."

Elladan wrinkled his nose as he stepped towards it. "You mean the pile of dirty, unwashed tunics and robes? Brother, you can go searching for his boot in there."

Elrohir shook his head. "After you, Elladan" he said, stepping back. "Ai Valar Aragorn, is your room always this messy?"

"It's because Arwen is in the other room now" said Legolas, still hunting for the missing boot. "He won't get shouted at as much if he leaves clothes on the floor." He sighed in apparent despair. "And here I was, thinking we had finally convinced you to stay clean."

Aragorn didn't even bother replying, just lay down on his bed with a sigh. Nobody wanted three elves in their room at the crack of dawn. He looked up to see Legolas on his hands and knees, peering under his bed. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Looking for your boot!" replied Legolas. "It's your own boot, you could at least help!"

Aragorn sighed. "First you drag me out of bed, and now you want me to help you find a boot? You're asking too much, _mellon-nin_."

A mutter came from under the bed, followed by a cry. "I found it!" said Legolas, coming out and holding up a boot in his hand. He chucked it at Aragorn. "Put it on."

"Where are Elrohir and Elladan?" asked Aragorn as he struggled to put on his boots.

"Saying hello to Arwen" replied Legolas. He looked down at Aragorn's attempts to put on his boots and sighed. "It's the other way round."

"What? Oh." Aragorn switched the boots over. At that point there came a thump from the bedroom and a moment later Elladan and Elrohir appeared, shutting the door behind them. Legolas raised an eyebrow.

"What have you done now?"

"Nothing!" said Elrohir. "Arwen is just…tired, that is all."

"What did she say?"

"Uh, she wondered why it was taking so long for three elves to dress one human."

Legolas sighed. "Did you say we were trying to dress Aragorn?"

"Yes. She didn't think it was very funny."

"She threw a pillow at us."

Aragorn gave a bark of laughter and three pairs of eyes turned to look at him. He paused. "I didn't find anything funny at all" he said. "Absolutely nothing. Nope, nothing whatsoever."

"Good" said Elladan. "Now are you ready yet? Honestly, it's almost as bad as when you were a child."

"Aye, but now he will at least _wear_ clothes" said Elrohir.

Legolas snorted. "Really?"

Elladan grimaced. "You did not have to deal with him when it was bath time, _mellon-nin_. You have no idea how messy he could get."

"Do you remember the time he went 'mud swimming'?" asked Elrohir. Legolas snorted with laughter and Elladan grinned.

"Aye I do. He was five?"

"Six" said Elrohir. "Or wait, maybe that was the other time when he-"

"Alright enough!" cried Aragorn. "I am ready. We can go. Both of you" he said, glaring at the twins, "can shut up with the stories." He turned towards the door.

"Wait a moment!" Legolas turned and darted back to the cupboard. He flung it open and proceeded to pull out tunics and robes. Aragorn sighed as they covered the floor. He would have to tidy that up later.

"Aha!" Legolas pulled out Aragorn's old ranger's coat and held it out. "Put it on" he said. "And these." He pulled a pair of gloves from his belt. "We can't have you getting cold."

"Cold?" asked Aragorn, pulling on the coat and gloves. "Why would you be worried about me getting cold?" He glanced out the window, and his eyes suddenly widened in realisation. "Oh no" he said, backing away from the three elves who now had dangerous glints in their eyes. "Oh no. No you don't."

He felt the door behind him, and spun around. Pushing the door open, Aragorn ran for it, sprinting down the corridor. He had barely gotten a few yards when something heavy knocked into him and he was brought down to the ground with a thump.

He was flipped over to find Legolas sitting on top of him. "You tackled me" he said in surprise.

Legolas grinned. "Like I haven't before?"

"I could call the guards on you" threatened Aragorn.

Legolas shrugged. "They won't come. They know what is happening."

Aragorn squirmed, trying to get out from underneath Legolas, but the elf simply laughed. "Come on" he said. He got up and offered a hand to Aragorn, who took it suspiciously.

Legolas hauled Aragorn to his feet, but as soon as Aragorn was upright he ducked and flipped Aragorn over his shoulder. Aragorn shouted in surprise. "Let me down!" he cried.

Elladan crouched down so Aragorn, upside down over Legolas' shoulder, could see him. "Not a chance, little brother" he said with a grin. "This is going to be so much fun."

"Legolas, if you don't let me down this instant, I will…I will…"

"Aye Aragorn, what will you do?"

"I will write to Thranduil and explain exactly where the three of you were on that Midsummer's eve in the Watchful Peace, and the precise reason why Legolas bruised his face."

"You wouldn't."

"I most certainly would" replied Aragorn. "Put me down!"

Legolas laughed. "If those are the threats we are making, I will let Faramir know precisely where you were when you were 'too ill' to hold council with the men from Belfalas."

"You are pure evil, you know that, don't you?"

Legolas chuckled as they walked down the corridor. "I try, Aragorn, I try."

They came to the great doors opening out to the courtyard of Minas Tirith, and Elladan and Elrohir pulled them open whilst Legolas walked through. Aragorn squirmed even more. "Put me down Legolas!"

"Be careful" said Legolas, walking sedately across the courtyard. "All this squirming may make me drop you." He saw Elladan pointing and changed direction.

Aragorn was too busy inventing new swearwords to notice the ground beneath him. "Legolas, put me down right now! I am the King!"

"And I am a Prince and a Lord" replied Legolas. "And, incidentally, I am also heir to a throne." Aragorn muttered something putting the marital status of Legolas' parents in a dubious light and Elladan and Elrohir broke down in peals of laughter.

"Careful" said Legolas. "You wouldn't want my father hearing that."

"I will say it to your father myself, and blame you!" cried Aragorn. "Unless you put me down this instant!"

Legolas sighed. "I suppose I have no choice, do I?" He heaved Aragorn over his shoulder and dumped him on the ground. Aragorn had time for a brief smile of triumph…

Before he sank into two and a half feet of snow.

He rose spluttering to see Legolas, Elrohir and Elladan in gales of laughter. Being elves, they stood lightly on top of the snow. Aragorn could see the guards of the citadel around the White Tree. It looked like a few of them were desperately biting their lips.

"You are dead" he growled, rising to his feet. "You are all so dead." He stooped quickly and grabbed a handful of snow. Packing it into a ball, he hurled it at Legolas.

It hit the elf on the shoulder and Legolas glared. "That is it. You are in for it, human."

"Oh really?" asked Aragorn. He gathered another ball of snow and threw it, this time at Elladan. It his him in the face and Aragorn laughed. "Do you really want to fight?"

Legolas ducked down as another snowball sailed over his head. "Do you?"

"Bring it on" said Aragorn.

In the next instant the air was filled with snowballs.

Aragorn sank into the snow as he tried to run to higher ground. He stooped and scooped up another handful. Light footsteps came from behind him. At the last moment he ducked and twisted, hurling the snowball at Legolas. Legolas dived to the floor and it sailed over his head, but before he could get up Aragorn leapt and pounced on him, forcing him down into the snow.

"Still able to walk on snow now, elf?" he asked. Legolas grinned, and Aragorn realised someone was behind him just before a pile of snow was thrust down his back. He yelped in surprise and fell back, landing in yet more snow.

Elladan looked down on him. "Dignified" he said. His grin disappeared as Aragorn began to shovel snow at him with his hands, not even bothering to pack it into balls. Elladan stumbled backwards as Elrohir and Legolas began to pelt snowballs at Aragorn. One hit him in the face and Aragorn cursed, shaking the powder out of his hair.

"That is it!" he cried. He packed snow together to make a massive snowball and hurled it with all his might at Elladan. At the last minute, Elladan grabbed hold of Legolas and pulled him in front so the huge snowball hit Legolas squarely in the chest.

Legolas shouted in annoyance. "I'm on your team Elladan!" he cried. "You don't sacrifice team members!"

"When it is them or you and a massive snowball is heading for your face, then you do" replied Elladan with a grin. "No hard feelings?"

Legolas frowned. "None at all" he said. Something in his tone made the twins and Aragorn pause. Legolas bent down and scooped up a handful of snow.

Elladan watched him warily. "Legolas…?"

Legolas smiled. "No hard feelings, Elladan?"

The snowball hit Elladan on his chin and exploded, sending powder all the way down his tunic. Elladan yelped in surprise. "We are on the same team!"

"Not anymore" said Legolas. He marched over to where Aragorn was sitting in the snow. "Want a hand defeating those two limbs of Sauron that call themselves your brothers?"

"By all means" said Aragorn. "Which one will you take?"

Legolas stooped and made another snowball. "Elladan." Together they turned and faced the twins.

Aragorn grinned. "Was this part of your plan for today, brothers?" He tossed his snowball up in the air. "Ready?"

"Ready" replied Legolas, and together they charged across the snow.

The guards surrounding the White Tree grinned as the snowball fight ensued. Aragorn and Legolas were chasing the twins, and then the tables turned and Elladan and Elrohir were fighting back. Powdered snow and inventive curses filled the air.

The curses drifted down to the lower level of Minas Tirith, where a man clad in dark greens and a woman dressed in white were walking out of the stables. They looked at each other and frowned.

Behind them came another man in dark greens and browns. He looked over at the man and woman. "Would you like me to go up first, my Lord?"

Faramir smiled. "If you don't mind."

Beregond sighed and cautiously made his way up the steps to the courtyard. He poked his head up and looked around. All he saw was a ball of white, before a snowball hit him in the face and sent him reeling backwards.

Eowyn chuckled. "A snowball fight?" she asked.

"I wager it is Legolas and the Peredhil twins" said Faramir. "And maybe…" He stopped to listen for a moment. His grin widened. "And our dear King. Nobody other than Aragorn and Gimli can swear that fluently in Dwarvish, and Gimli is still in Argalond."

Beregond laughed. "Shall we brave it?" he asked Faramir.

"Why not?" Faramir climbed the steps and looked out on the courtyard. He laughed at the sight, and Eowyn and Beregond came to join him.

Aragorn was sitting on top of Elrohir, stuffing snow down his tunic. Elrohir was squirming and crying out, but Aragorn's grip was merciless. Elladan was still on his feet and currently advancing on Legolas, who was desperately throwing snowball after snowball at him. Faramir coughed loudly.

Aragorn looked up, startled, and quickly clambered off Elrohir. "Faramir!" he exclaimed, brushing the snow from him and wading across to meet him. "And Beregond. And Eowyn." He sighed. "Please don't tell Arwen."

Eowyn smiled. "I was actually on my way to see her" she said. "If I am allowed to pass?"

"By all means" said Aragorn. A path had been cleared earlier by the guards from the top of the steps to the doors. Eowyn walked smoothly down it, but at the end she stopped, as if thinking. Elladan, who was standing nearby, watched her cautiously.

Eowyn stooped, and came up again with a ball of snow in her hand. She threw it as hard as she could, and it hit a surprised Elladan in the shoulder. Before he could wipe the snow from his top, though, she was up the steps and closing the doors to the citadel behind her.

Faramir laughed. "She will come out again" he said. "And then we will have a real fight on our hands."

Aragorn grinned. "Does that mean you are going to join in?"

"But of course!" said Faramir. "Beregond?"

"A chance to shove snow down someone's shirt?" asked Beregond. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Elves against men?" asked Aragorn, grinning.

Legolas frowned. "Aragorn, I am on your team!"

"But before you were on my brothers' team" pointed out Aragorn. "How can I trust you?" He shook his head and sighed. "Better that I don't. Sorry, _mellon-nin_."

Legolas walked over and joined Elrohir and Elladan in the middle of the courtyard. The snow around them was churned up in great flurries. "Bring it on, humans" he said with a glare.

Aragorn grinned at Faramir and Beregond. "There may come a day" he said, "when the courage of men fails, but it is not this day!" He stooped and made another snowball. "This day we fight!"

Faramir and Beregond gathered snow, and together they charged at the three elves standing on the other side of the courtyard. Needless to say, hilarity ensued.

The air was thick with snowballs as the two sides fought it out. The elves were quicker, and able to walk on top of the snow, but there was sabotage within their ranks, as Elrohir stuffed snow down Legolas' shirt and Legolas 'mistakenly' hit Elladan with a snowball. The men were a team, working together to get the elves well and truly covered in snow.

The doors to the citadel opened again and the six of them froze, snowballs in hand. Legolas was just about to throw his; it slithered through his fingers and landed with a plop on the ground. Six pairs of eyes watched as the two women sat down on the top of the steps.

Aragorn unfroze first. "_Meleth-nin_, are you sure you should be out here?"

Arwen smiled. Beneath the gown she wore her belly was huge. He leant back against the now closed doors and smiled. "You cannot tell me to go inside, dear. I do not feel the cold."

"But still…" said Aragorn. "What about Eowyn?"

Faramir shook his head frantically, but it was too late. Eowyn frowned. "I am a daughter of Rohan, my Lord Aragorn, a shield-maiden, a daughter of Kings. I think I can handle a little snow."

"She'll get her revenge" whispered Faramir to Aragorn. "Trust me."

"Fine" said Aragorn. "I guess we better stop…"

"Stop?" exclaimed Elladan.

"We were just about to beat you!" cried Elrohir.

"You three are so busy sabotaging each other there is no way you could beat us!" exclaimed Aragorn. "If anything, we were about to beat you."

"Watch your tongue, human" said Legolas, packing snow together in his hands. "Or you may just get a little more than you bargained for."

Arwen cut in. "By all means continue" she said. "It's not like Eowyn or I are in any danger, right?"

All six men shook their heads and she smiled. "Of course not. But I don't mind you getting each other soaking wet, _meleth-nin_."

Aragorn grinned. "Well then" he said. "Back to battle!"

Arwen sighed, absent-mindedly rubbing her huge belly as she leant back and watched them fight. Eowyn sat beside her. "How is the little one?"

"Restless" said Arwen. "And I find myself getting up almost every night and sneaking off to the kitchens for snacks."

Eowyn laughed. "I was the same with Elboron." A snowball flew past her head and thumped the door. She turned around and watched as the snow slid off the wood. "I think that deserves revenge, don't you?"

Arwen smiled sweetly. "They won't dare throw snowballs at me, not even my brothers. It was Elladan who threw it, by the way."

"Really?" asked Eowyn sceptically. Elvish aim was not that bad.

"Well, no" admitted Arwen. "But I want to see my brothers beaten. And it would be wrong to side against my husband."

Eowyn smiled and scooped up some of the snow at her feet. "A snowball, my Lady?" she asked, offering one to Arwen.

Arwen took it. "Thank you" she replied. They turned and watched the fight until one of the twins, Eowyn couldn't tell which, stumbled within range. With a grin at each other, the two ladies aimed and threw their snowballs.

Elrohir blinked as two snowballs hit him in the chest. Who had thrown those? Legolas and Elladan were currently stalking Faramir and Beregond, and Aragon was stalking them. His eyes narrowed and he spun around to glare accusingly at the two women seated on the top of the steps.

Arwen waved merrily at him, and that was all the proof he needed. "Sister!" he cried out. "That is not fair. You know I can't hit you!"

"Exactly" said Arwen, rolling another snowball. Beside her, Eowyn was doing the same.

Legolas arrived panting at Elrohir's side. "What are they doing?" he asked, shaking snow from his blond hair.

"Throwing snowballs" replied Elrohir. "Because we can't hit them back."

"Ah" said Legolas. He looked behind him. "Elrohir, duck!" He grabbed hold of Elrohir and pushed him down into the snow as a massive ball of snow sailed over their heads and exploded just in front of them.

The battle reached its final climatic stages. Arwen and Eowyn continued to pelt the twins with snowballs as Elladan and Elrohir tackled Beregond to the ground. Faramir came to rescue him, but ended up in a heap on top of the two elves. Finally, Legolas and Aragorn tried to tackle each other at the same time and ended up colliding with Elladan and Elrohir, who had just started to get up. The six of them lay in a pile of tangled limbs, covered in snow.

Legolas began to laugh as he rolled off of the pile, pulling Aragorn with him. Next came Faramir and Beregond, and the four of them stood up, laughing merrily as they brushed the snow off of themselves.

Elladan groaned as he detangled himself from Elrohir and staggered to his feet. He shook his head, spraying white powder everywhere. "Why…?" he groaned.

Elrohir shook out his shirt. "Why what, dear brother?"

"Why do we come up with these stupid ideas, time and time again?" asked Elladan, now trying unsuccessfully to empty the snow from his boots. "They always end up with us wet or muddy or tired."

"Or injured" supplied Legolas helpfully, who was trying to untangle his long hair. "Don't forget injured."

Aragorn laughed, squelching through the snow to stand beside Legolas. "I never let them forget, _mellon-nin_" he said. He glanced up to where Arwen and Eowyn were coming down the steps. Aragorn rushed to join them.

"Arwen, be careful!" he cried out as Arwen reached the bottom of the steps.

Arwen smiled. "I am fine, _meleth_" she said softly, but she took Aragorn's hand anyway. Faramir made his way to Eowyn and grinned sheepishly. Eowyn raised one eyebrow.

"You are soaked, my love."

Faramir looked down. "Ah. Yes. But it technically isn't my fault."

"It's not ours!" said Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas in unison as they saw Arwen and Eowyn's gaze fall on them.

Aragorn snorted. "You were the ones to drag me out of bed so that we could have a snowball fight" he said. He shivered, suddenly noticing how cold he was.

Arwen noticed as well. "There is a fire in our chambers, and hot spiced wine for any who want to get warm and dry" she said. "Elladan, Elrohir, you are getting out of those wet clothes before you ruin my carpets."

Legolas grinned in triumph. "Not me, dear Arwen?"

"You are not my brother" said Arwen, "so I can't order you about." Legolas smirked. "However" said Arwen, raising one eyebrow. "I can still coerce you. Go and get changed, or I will let slip to Faramir and Beregond about the time you went out hunting with my brothers, and something…unfortunate happened involving a cliff."

Aragorn stifled a laugh as Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir sprinted for the doors. "What was the story?" he asked. "I haven't heard that one."

"Another time, perhaps" said Arwen, smiling softly. "Faramir, Beregond, you are very welcome to join us."

"Faramir will not refuse" said Eowyn, tugging on his soaking wet sleeve. "He needs to get dry." Aragorn chuckled at Faramir's stifled groan.

"Not for me, my Lady" said Beregond, bowing low. "Though this has been excellent fun, I now have things I must see to." He bowed again, before turning and leaving.

Aragorn took Arwen's hand, and they walked up into the citadel with Faramir and Eowyn. "So, _meleth-nin_" said Aragorn. "This was your idea?"

Arwen laughed, and kissed him softly. "You work yourself too hard, and my brothers and Legolas were only too willing to help. After all, every King needs a day off."

Aragorn smiled at her, and they made their way to their chambers, where a roaring fire was waiting.

_The End_

_Elvish translations:_

_Mellon-nin- my friend_

_Meleth-nin- my love_


End file.
